Fluid control coupling



Feb. 20, 1945. H. c. FRI-:ED

FLUD CONTROL CUPLING Fild March 6, 1943 INVENTOR. H, E. ER E E D HTT'O//VEY i lill Patented Feb. zo, 194s UNITED S'I`A."I`IS PATENT OFFICE y "2,369,823, p :enumcoNTRoneoUrLrNGv HenryY o.. Freed, Glendale,y Calif. VAluminum Maren 6, 194s, serial No. 478,314

vscreams.. (.cl. 285-163.)

This r'invention relates-l to^ a" fluid-controlled l coupling. e I

'I-he general object of the inventionv is to provide a Vcoupling devicezbyL means `of which two conduits may be positively connectedjtogether and may be readily' disconnected;

A more specific object ofthe invention is to providev a` novel device for coupling two conduits. wherein uid under` pressure serves toV maintain the: coupling connection which may be readily arranged' in a conduit member Il.. The conduit members I'I are preferably made of' rubber or other flexible material and at their upper ends communicate with a fuel supply conduit" I8'. The fuelsupply `conduit I8v isjsuitablyy connectedl to the engine or engines (not shown)v in any suitable manner and the construction is suchY that fuelisY drawn from the tanks'- I5 through the outlet I5, conduit Il and fuel supply conduit I8 whenceI it passes towards the engine. y

Fuel dropl tanks of the kind described are adapted for use with' airplanes to increase the effective radiusy of operation. In use the plane first drawsthe fuel from the drop tanksandlwhen this fuel' is exhausted or' when the plane is, to

' gointo battle or for otherv reasons it is desirable provide a novel coupling; device for coupling two coaxial telescoped conduits wherein atleast one ofthe conduits i's* flexible, the coupling device including fluid controlled means for. maintaining pressure .uponv the4 exibfe conduit, thus vurging von line 2 2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional, detail showing the securing member uninated;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line- 5 5, Fig, 1 showing the valve control in elevation;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section showing the valve control in plan, and

Fig. 7 is a' sectional detail showing one of the valve members.

Referring to the drawing byreference characters I have shown my invention as embodied in an airplane which is indicated generally at I9. As shown the airplane includes a fuselage II having wings I2 thereon. The fuselage includes a cockpit I3 having an instrument panel I4 arranged therein.

A pair of fuel drop tanks are indicated at I5. These drop tanks may be of any desired configuration and may, or may not,'be of the bullet proof type and their particular construction forms no part of the present invention.r Each of the drop f tanks I5 is provided with an upwardly extending outlet pipe I6 which is shown as telescopically tov lighten the' load',A the drop tanks are released andV fally away from the plane.y l'

It` has been a source of` inconvenience that4 the connection between the drop tanks and the fuel supply line will sometimes leak, causing air to be drawn into the fuel line,. thusv causing. the motor to operate inefficientlyvor to, cease.. operating entirely and one of the objects of my invention is to overcome this diiiculty.

According to the disclosure I arrange a bracket I9 about each pipe I'I. This bracket is shown as of streamline form (Fig. 3) and at its upper end is provided with a ange I9' which is secured to the lower portion of the airplane wing. bracket supports a coupling member indicated generallyat 20. .This coupling member isvin the general shape of a torus including a top wall 2 l, a bottom wall 22, an outer-periphery l23, an upper inner flange 24 and a lower inner flange 25. The flanges 24 and 25 form a restricted opening 25'.

The member 20 preferably has an internal diameter which approximates the external diameter of the pipe Il so that it may be slid along this pipe in assembling .and will function properly in use.

Within the member 20 I arrange a exible fluidsupply tube 2B which is shown as provided with an operating uid supply conduit 2l which passes through a hole 2l in the top 2I of the member V2li.

vThe conduit 21 is connected by a tting 28 to a coupling 29 which includes and communicates with a pressure indicator 3U. also communicates with a valve 3| which latter is shown as communicating with a T 32 from which a header 33 extends to asource of fluid under pressure indicated at 34. practicel airplanes are provided with reservoirs The The coupling 29 l Inthe usual.

lshown in Fig. 7 the tank 34 communicates with the conduit and fluid under pressure passes through the conduit 21 thus creating fluid pressure in the tube 26. This action causes the tube to expand through the slot 25 with the expanding portion 38 engaging the tube I1 and clamping this tube tightly against the outlet of nipple I 6. The tube I1 is shown as provided with a peripheral recess 39 in which the` part 38 engages. A somewhat tighter joint is provided when this recess is employed.

The valve member 36 also includes a lateral outlet 40 and when the valve stem is turned through 90 the part 40 will communicate with the conduit 31 while the conduit 31 `will communicate with an outlet 4| in the valve body 35. This outlet 4| is preferably connected to a suitable reservoir (not shown) into which the fluid is bled from the conduit 21 thus relieving pressure in the tube 26. y

In operation the drop tanks are arranged in place, the nipple I6 and pipe l1 being telescoped. This is done while the valve is turned to bleed the tube 26. When the parts are assembled the valves 3l are operated to place the tubes 26 in connection with the tank 34, thus creating fluid pressure in the tubes and providing a tight seal between the pipe l1 and nipple I6. When the drop tanks are to be released the operator rotates the valve 36 thus placing the tubes 26 in communication with the exhaust pipe 4l so that the tubes are bled and their pressure reduced. After this is done the drop tanks are released (by means not shown).

The details of valve construction shown afford no part of my invention and other types of valves may be employed.

I preferably make the member 20 of metal, plastic'or other suitable material, while the tube 26 and pipe i1 may be made of rubber, synthetic rubber or other flexible material suitable for the purpose. I show two drop tanks but it will be understood that the number may be varied as required.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have invented a novel fluid control coupling which can be economically manufactured, easily actuated and which is positive in its operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A coupling device adapted to connected a flexible hose with the outlet pipe of an airplane drop tank, said device comprising a substantially torusy shaped body and having a closed outer periphery, a closed top wall and a closed bottom wall, said body having an upper flange and a lower flange extending from the top wall and bottom wall respectively, said flanges being opposed to each other and forming a restricted opening which is of less width than the axial length of the torus, said body being adapted to be arranged on a flexible hose, an expansible tube in said torus, said tube having a filling conduit, and means to support the torus.

2. A coupling device adapted to connect a flexible hose with the outlet pipe of an airplane drop tank, said device comprising a substantially torus shaped body of uniform wall thickness and having a closed outer periphery, a closed top wall and a closed bottom wall, said body having an upper flange and a lower flange extending from the top 'wall and bottom wall respectively, said flanges being opposed to each other and forming a restricted opening which is of less width than the internal length of the torus, said body being adapted to be arranged on a flexible hose, an eX- pansible tube in said torus, said tube having a lling conduit, said top wall having an aperture, said filling tube extending through said aperture, and means to support the torus,

HENRY C. FREED. 

